Liquid dispensing device



May M, 1938. J. J. BAILEY LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

JOHN J. 5/7/45) BY M ATTURNFY.

may 24,, 193%. J. J. BAILEY 2,11%,74

LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

JOHN J B/Q/LE Y ATTORNEY.

FIG. 4

Patented May 24, 1938 UNETED STdiiifi A hlltflti @FFEQE LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Application February 5, 1937, Serial No. 124,185

8 Claims.

This invention deals with a device for dispensing liquids and more especially to dispensing liquids from sealed containers, wherein the containers are inserted into, opened by, and the 5 measured contents thereof dispensed through said device.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a dispenser having a secondary discharge chamber and effectively located baliles whereby a liquid of extremely low viscosity may be poured freely and without danger of splashing.

A further purpose is to provide a dispensing container from which a measured quantity of liquid may be poured without danger of spilling or splashing said liquid.

A further purpose is to provide a novel device for opening and destroying a container from which a liquid is being dispensed.

A further purpose is to provide a set of cutting blades which will effectively open a sealed container, for fully pouring its contents, and which will simultaneously destroy both end and side wall surfaces of said container by simple insertion of the container into the dispenser.

A further purpose is to provide a blade assembly for cutting and opening a sealed container, which operates by simple insertion but which destroys both bottom and side of a sealed container leaving no outwardly projecting metal edges which can effect cuts or material scratches on the hands of an operator.

A further purpose is to provide a dispensing container for receiving sealed cans holding a measured quantity of liquid, with opening knives which automatically and simultaneously open and destroy a can on the bottom and sides by simple insertion, the openings in said bottom and sides being substantially inward cuts without jagged projecting ends to cut or harm an operator.

Other purposes will appear in or be evident from the specification.

Applicant realizes that many patents have been issued for dispensing containers wherein the sealed container is inserted into a receiving chamber and there opened by knives permitting the liquid to pass from the sealed container into the dispensing device. He realizes further that these devices are not perfect and that as more and more liquid commodities are coming into use and the mode of merchandising is spreading more and more into the sealed, measured quantity, type of container that there may be wider application of this type of dispenser and particularly of the type which is described herein.

fill

Applicants dispenser was adapted for dispensing alcohol, and although applicable in part or in whole for more sluggish liquids it was designed to prevent such liquids as alcohol from spilling or splashing from the dispenser onto the surfaces adjacent the opening into which a pour is intended.

Alcohol is one of the least viscous of the products ordinarily dispensed, for instance by service stations, for automobiles, and one of the most damaging to the expensive finish jobs used on modern cars. In addition it is widely used and usually is dispensed through an opening in or near the part of a car where damage to the finish would be most objectionable, and difficult to repair. The receiving openings frequently have bafiies inside or near the openings from which a liquid may splash out during the filling operation.

Statutes governing the Weighing, measuring, and dispensing of commodities appear on the books of most of the States in the United States, and for certain commodities on the books of the United States proper. Such statutes have no effect in protecting an automobile owner g against the carelessness of an attendant in spilling a damaging liquid on an expensive surface job, but they do protect, and very measurably so, the customer against short weight or volume, or against fraudulent re-filling of containers with liquids purported to be other than described on the can. Typical of some of the statutes are that the containers must hold the specified quantity of the commodity; that the dispensing devices must be arranged to drain the containers empty; and in some instances, that the can or labels must be destroyed by piercing or cutting in certain prescribed ways.

Applicants invention as described herein is for a dispensing container which substantially meets all of the requirements above enumerated and to some extent even protects a purchaser, of alcohol for instance, from damage to a surface finish which might result from carelessness of an operator using an old type dispenser.

Four figures have been used by way of explanation of the invention.

Figure l is a sectional elevation drawing of a dispensing container embodying cutting knives,

a secondary discharge chamber and bafiles in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detailed plan view of the cutters embodied in the assembly of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detailed elevation view of the cutters embodied in the assembly of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an isometric view of a charging container showing how it is pierced, opened and destroyed after insertion in the dispenser according to the present invention.

Referring to the figures, the dispenser herein provided for comprises a charge receiving portion I usually cylindrical in shape, having a rolled or finished top 2 and a bottom 3. The upper portion of this cylinder serves as a charge container receiving portion, and is adapted to rweive charged cans or containers 4 of usual construction. The cylinder is gauged to receive cans only slighty smaller in diameter than the opening in the cylinder so that they may be guided by the top and sides thereof past the piercing or opening knife assemblies 5 and 6, and onto the ring I and mounting studs 8, secured to the side wall of the cylinder by screws 9.

A preferred form of the opening knife assembly is shown in Figures 2 and 3. In these figures the bracing ring is shown at l and the supporting studs at 8. The supporting studs are preferably spot Welded to the ring proper and holes are drilled and tapped through both for mounting the assembly in the dispenser proper. The knife blade assemblies 5 and 6 are pivotally mounted in the ring assembly by means of cross braces I and rivet II. The blade assemblies and 6 are of similar construction being mounted in right and left hand. fashion.

Describing blade assembly 5, it comprises a substantially triangular piece of metal I2 having a hole pierced at one corner for rivet II, a sharpened cutting edge i 3, and a piercing point I4 inclined at a slightly greater angle toward and overhanging the side of the piece opposite the corner having the pivot hole. A second set of blades I5 and I6 are attached to the main blade piece I2 at a point below the piercing point I4 and inside of the overhanging part of the main blade. These blades are preferably formed from a piece of thin metal having the shape of an isosceles triangle. The base of the triangle is arranged to lie in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the upper edges of the supporting members II], If), and to rest on said members when operating to open a can. The two sides of this piece are sharpened to knife edges and a cut is made from the apex of the triangle wide enough and long enough to admit the overhanging or projecting point of the main cutting blade. The piece is then placed in position and spot welded to this edge of the main blade piece, and the two cutting edges are bent back toward the pivot corner of said main blade to afford clearance from ring I and the bead on the can to be opened. In the figures the base of this cutting piece is designated at IT.

The blade assembly therefore comprises cutting or piercing edges to perform four main functions. The point I4 pierces the can to be opened at a point just inside the bead edge. The cutting edge I3 cuts the end of the can substantially radially from the piercing point toward the center, and the two cutting edges I5 and I IS cut the end of the can from the piercing point at angles from the main out near the peripheral surface of the can.

The blade assemblies 5 and 6 are held in a vertical position, parallel to each other, by the support braces Ill, Ill, and are pivotally supported between these pieces with a bolt or rivet II. The support pieces II], IIl comprise two strips of metal of thickness and depth sufiicient to give substantial support against the pressure exerted on their central and end portions by the can as it is pressed against the opening knives. These pieces are placed with their fiat surfaces parallel to each other at their mid portions but are bent apart near the ends to afford stability to the cutting blade assembly, the lower ends of the pieces supporting the four side cutting edges resting on these spread ends at 24 when in the operating position. The spread ends are here shown as being again bent to conform with the supporting ring 7, to which they are preferably spot welded.

A spring I8 passing through assembly 5 at I9, making a complete loop around the rivet II and thence passing through assembly 6 at 20 tends to hold the points I4 together and the bases of the side cutting edges I'I away from the support pieces I0. Stops 2| on assembly 5 and 22 on assembly 6 abutting against the base pieces II) prevent complete closure and restrain the cutting edges and piercing points so that the points I4 lie normally just inside of the position of the bead on the end of a can to be opened.

When a can is inserted into the dispensing assembly and as it reaches the position of the piercing blades I4 the blades pierce the can just inside of the bead. The blade assemblies are then forced into their lower position around the pivot I I and the points I4 pass through the side walls of the container, as the bottoms of the side cutting blade pieces I! come to rest on the upper edges of support pieces I0. As the can is further inserted into the dispenser cutting edges I4 slit the can sides with inwardly turning edges while cutting edges I3, I5 and I6 open up large openings in the end of the can. Thus by simple insertion of the can into the dispenser assembly the can is adequately opened to fully empty its contents, and the sides of the can are destroyed to comply with statutes so requiring.

To further facilitate the cutting operation applicant arranges the three metal pieces supporting the cutting edges to lie in planes parallel to the axis of the can to be opened when the blade assemblies are in their depressed position. He also inserts deflecting pieces 23 on both sides of the main cutting edges I3 and on the inside of cutting edges I5 and I5. These pieces may be deformations in the metal of the pieces or strips of thin metal spot welded to the blade supports. In practice applicant has used a blade thickness of about one-thirty second part of an inch and deflecting pieces of about one-sixteenth inch thickness placed about the same distance away from the cutting edges proper. The other dimensions of these pieces are relatively immaterial.

On withdrawing an opened container from the dispensing assembly the spring IB operates to bring the blade assemblies back into their normal position facilitating the removal of the can.

Figure 4 shows the type of cuts and openings effected by the blade assemblies of this invention, the piercing points I4 making the initial cuts 25 and subsequently the side cut 26. Cutting edges I3 are responsible for cuts beginning at 25 and progressing to 21, and cutting edges I5 and I6 are responsible for cuts 28 and 29 respectively. It should be borne in mind that all cuts are made inwardly in the can except the initial puncturing or piercing of cuts 26, which insures against any sharp edges which might be harmful to an operator.

Returning now to Figure 1, the liquid flowing from the opened can in the upper portion of the dispenser cylinder is deflected toward the back of the can by a bafiie 30, preferably corrugated and through opening 3| into the lower portion of the dispenser and partially into the secondary discharge chamber 32. It is assumed that these portions are of sufiicient size to accommodate the full contents of the charging container, and that the baifie 30 will prevent liquid from spilling out of the top part of the cylinder proper as the dispenser is tilted for pouring as with a handle 33. It has been found by practice that less liquid remains on the cross baffle 30 if it is made of corrugated stock, the liquid draining downwardly and through the opening 3|.

The secondary discharge chamber 32 rigidly connected to the aforementioned cylinder and opening into same at points 34 just below the cross baffle and between there and the bottom of the cylinder, is arranged with the usual funnel shaped orifice or vent 35 for dispensing the contents. In this part of the assembly the separation wall 36 between the cylinder and the secondary discharge chamber acts as a baiile, and this with a second baflie 37, in the upper part of the secondary discharge chamber, with openings 38 and 39, insures against a too rapid pouring of the charge. As is well known alcohol is a very fluid liquid and it has been very difficult by dispensers heretofore supplied to prevent a wild pour from splashing out and damaging an expensive or costly finish job. By applicant's system of baiiles and cross bafiles a steady and well controlled pour is assured. In addition, the baffles are so placed that no liquid may be retained within the dispenser and there are no fine screens or filters to become clogged.

It will be evident that the size, type and number of holes in the baiile arrangement may be varied to insure the most advantageous control of liquids of diiferent degrees of fluidity, those having a higher fluidity requiring less total area of opening and those having a lower fluidity requiring more total area of opening. In one particular embodiment of applicants invention which was proved to be successful, the dispenser being one for holding and dispensing one quart charges of alcohol, the holes 34 were one-eighth inch round and numbered 8 and 3 at the extreme bottom and top respectively. The holes at 38 and 39 were triangular in shape with the V apex toward the mid part of the baflle. The openings were approximately three-sixteenth inch across each side and were 3 in number at each point.

It is obvious that having thus described applicants invention others might desire to profit thereby by changing a part or parts of the invention so described without materially affecting the operation of the parts as a whole and applicant therefore desires that broad and protective covering be given him in the form of United States Letters Patent for all that is claimed.

What is claimed:-

1. In a liquid dispensing device charge receiving and charge holding portions, a secondary charge holding'and discharge chamber opening into said charge holding portion through small openings near the top of and toward the bottom of said holding portion, a cross baffle between said charge receiving and charge holding portions sloping downward from the discharge side, having an opening near the lower end, and another baiile in said discharge chamber nearer but back from the discharge end.

2. A dispensing device comprising charge receiving and charge holding portions, a secondary charge holding and discharge chamber associated with said charge holding portion and terminating in a pouring spout, a cross bafile between said receiving and holding portions sloping down from the discharge side of said dispenser and affording an opening between the sections only at its lower end, bafiie means between said holding portion and said discharge chamber comprising a wall having openings near the top and toward the bottom of said Wall between the two sections and another bafile in said discharge chamber nearer but back from the discharge end sloping downward from the dispenser side of the spout, across the spout, and having a total area of opening small in proportion to the area of the baffle as a whole.

3. In a liquid dispensing device charge receiving and charge holding portions, a secondary charge holding and discharge chamber terminating in a pouring spout associated with said charge holding portion, means in said charge receiving portion for opening a'sealed container as it is inserted therein, a cross bafile between said receiving and holding portions affording an opening between the two sections only at the side away from the spout, a blocking bafiie between said holding portion and secondary discharge chamber having openings between the two just below said cross bafiie and also toward the bottom part of the holding chamber, a second baffie in the spout proper nearer but back from the discharge end sloping down across the spout from the dispenser side and having openings small in total area as compared to the area of the baffle proper.

4. A liquid dispensing device comprising charge receiving and charge holding portions, a secondary charge holding and discharge chamber terminating in a pouring spout associated with said charge holding portion, a cross balile between said receiving and holding portions affording an opening between the two sections only at the side away from the spout, means in the charge receiving portion for puncturing and opening the end and side wall of a sealed container as it is inserted therein, a baffle between said holding portion and said discharge cham-- ber, and a second bafiie in said spout nearer but back from the discharge end.

5. A liquid dispensing device comprising charge receiving and charge holding portions, a secondary charge holding and discharge chamber terminating in a pouring spout associated with said charge holding portion, communicating bafiles in said device between said charge receiving and holding portions, between said charge holding and discharge chambers and in said spout near the discharge end thereof, and means in said receiving portion of the dispenser for opening the bottom and side of a sealed container when it is inserted therein.

6. In a liquid dispensing device a charge receiving portion adapted to receive the end and a portion of the side wall of a sealed can, a supporting member mounted inside of said device, having a portion forming a substantial diameter to the device, knife blades each pivotally mounted on one end to said support member near the mid portion thereof, lying in planes perpendicular to the position of the bottom of a can to be inserted into the device, said blades extending from their pivot point in substantially outward and upward directions with the sharpened edges terminating in projecting points, spring means to pull said points together toward the position of the axis of a can to be inserted, restraining means to prevent said points from moving together more than a slight distance inside of the position of the bead of a can to be inserted and means to prevent the points from spreading materially beyond the position of the side walls of said can and to support said blades in rigid position as a can is thrust onto them.

'7. In a device for opening and destroying a sealed container of cylindrical form, a receiving and guiding portion of substantially the same form but slightly larger than the container to be opened, a supporting assembly rigidly mounted in said receiving portion comprising a ring shaped member and a cross member, a knife blade assembly comprising a piece of metal with a sharpened edge pivotally supported at one end near the mid portion of said cross member and extending in a substantially radial upward and outward direction in a plane parallel to the axis of the cylinder and terminating in a piercing point just inside of the position of the bead on a sealed container to be opened, two other pieces of metal lying in planes also parallel to the axis of the cylinder having sharpened upper edges attached to said first edge a little below the piercing point and extending outward and downward from said first edge and substantially inside of the position of the inner circumferential edge of a can to beopened, a spring tending to pull the piercing point of said knife assembly toward the axis of the cylinder, and stops to restrain the movement of said point to a position just inside of and just outside of the position of a bead on a can to be opened and destroyed.

8. In a liquid dispensing device, a container receiving portion, a pivot within said device, a cutting blade mounted thereon and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom, said blade terminating in a piercing point normally within, but outwardly displaceable to a point outside of, the periphery of the bead on a container to be opened, said blade lying substantially within said container receiving portion at all times.

JOHN J. BAILEY. 

